Medieval manuscripts are "biological time capsules" for deadly sheeppox virus
Scientists have successfully extracted and sequenced ancient sheeppox virus DNA from the parchment of medieval manuscripts. This discovery suggests that historical archives could serve as biological time capsules for tracking the evolution of animal pathogens.
Why it matters
This research provides new methods for understanding the long-term evolution of infectious diseases and their historical impact on society.
a pox upon it Medieval manuscripts are “biological time capsules” for deadly sheeppox virus Other archives and libraries around the world may also contain genetic traces of past disease outbreaks.
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